Ratchet action open-end wrenches

ABSTRACT

An open-ended wrench has moveable jaw portions to permit the sliding of the wrench into locking engagement over the head of a fastener such as a hexagon headed nut or bolt, the jaws being arranged to securely grip the fastener head when moved in a torquing direction, and to partially open in resilient ratcheting relation with the head when moved in the opposite direction. The wrench head surrounds the flats of the fastener head, even in the ratcheting mode, to prevent accidental withdrawal of the wrench off the head. The operation of the wrench in a reverse torquing direction is effected by repositioning the wrench from a face-up to face-down position. The working jaw surfaces are of the socalled twelve-point arrangement, to permit incremental operation at 30* intervals.

[ 1 Nov. 25, 1975 1 RATCHET ACTION OPEN-END WRENCHES [75] lnventors: Lloyd R. Dyck, Weston; Alexander N. Openshaw, Concord, both of Canada [73] Assignee: Aljac Devices Limited, Mississauga,

Canada [22] Filed: Apr. 25, 1974 [2]] Appl. No.: 464,042

3,641,847 2/1972 Horton 81/111 Primary Examiner-A1 Lawrence Smith Assistant Examinerlames G. Smith [57] ABSTRACT An open-ended wrench has moveable jaw portions to permit the sliding of the wrench into locking engagement over the head of a fastener such as a hexagon headed nut or bolt, the jaws being arranged to se curely grip the fastener head when moved in a torquing direction, and to partially open in resilient ratcheting relation with the head when moved in the opposite direction. The wrench head surrounds the flats of the fastener head, even in the ratcheting mode, to prevent accidental withdrawal of the wrench off the head. The operation of the wrench in a reverse torquing direc tion is effected by repositioning the wrench from a face-up to face-down position. The working jaw surfaces are of the so'called twelve-point arrangement, to permit incremental operation at 30 intervals.

13 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures US. Patent Nov. 25, 1975 Sheet 1 of2 3,921,474

Nov. 25, 1975 Sheet 2 of 2 3,921,474

U.S. Patent RATCHET ACTION OPEN-END WRENCHES This invention is directed to a hand tool. and in particular to an open-ended ratchet wrench.

In certain previous efforts to provide an open-ended ratchet wrench there have been provided wrenches having a single pivoted jaw, the operating forces produced when exerting working torque on the wrench being applied against the jaw pivot.

In a previous arrangement by L. R. Dyck, US. Pat. No. 3,606,805, Sept. 2] 1971, a double jawed ratchet wrench has been provided wherein 'the cooperative jaws are of open u-form, permitting unrestricted movement of the wrench toward and away from a fastener head. This previous arrangement relied upon a gearlike portion of one jaw engaging in locking relation with a supporting jaw, to immobilize the wrench in its jaw opening function. Owing to the form of jaw and jawimmobilizing arrangement, a precise, multi-point driving connection was not feasible.

An object of the present invention is the provision of an open-ended ratchet wrench to provide more than two driving surfaces on the jaws thereof, for balanced torquing operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wrench mountable on a fastener head in self-securing relation therewith.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a wrench having multi-faceted jaw working surfaces such as of the so-called twelve-point form, or of the socalled six-point form, to permit incremental operation at desired working intervals, such as every 30 for the twelve-point form.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a wrench having major operating loads transferred from the jaws in compressive relation with jaw-support surfaces on the wrench handle.

The present invention thus provides a ratchet-action open ended wrench operable in a first mode in a torquing direction, to drivingly rotate a fastener head fitting within the wrench end, and operable in a second mode in an opposite ratcheting direction to ratchet freely about the head, comprising an elongated handle having a backing jaw portion extending from one end thereof; a first moveable jaw having at least two mutually inclined working faces located between an inner and an outer end of the jaw to drivingly contact like mutually inclined faces of a fastener head, and an obverse surface of the first jaw to fit in supported relation with an adjacent surface of the backing jaw portion when oper ating in the first mode; a second jaw attached at the inner end thereof in hinging relation to the first jaw inner end and pivotally secured to the handle end adjacent the backing jaw portion, the second jaw having an outer end moveable in the second mode into opened cooperating relation with the first jaw outer end to receive the fastener head therebetween; jaw biasing means to resiliently bias the first and second jaws in mutual closing relation to effect mating relation between working surfaces of the jaws and flat portions of the fastener head when operated in the first mode, and to permit relative sliding rotation of the wrench about the fastener head when operated in the second mode, the backing jaw adjacent surface portion being inclined relative to the first jaw working faces to generate reaction forces with the first jaw when in use in the first mode to secure the first jaw obverse surface in pressing relation against the backing jaw to inhibit motion ofthe first jaw inner end, thereby preventing motion of the second jaw inner end in pivoting opening motion relative to the handle and the first jaw, the backing jaw surface portion cooperating with the first jaw whcn operated in the second mode to move the first jaw outwardly from the handle in unlocking relation with the second jaw, to permit opening and ratcheting motion thereof.

Certain embodiments ofthe present invention are described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein;

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a wrench according to the present invention in mounted relation over a fastener head;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in partial section of the head portion of the wrench in FIG. I, in a counterclockwise torquing mode;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, in a clockwise ratcheting mode;

FIG. 4 is a similar view to FIGS. 2 and 3, with the wrench fully open to permit passage of the wrench jaws over the fastener head;

FIG. 5 is an exploded general view of the wrench head of FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4;

FIG. 6 is a partial general view taken in the direction of arrow 6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view taken on the line 77 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken at 88 of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 9, 10, I1, 12 and 13 are arrangements corresponding to FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5 and I showing details for a second head embodiment and its function.

Referring to FIG. I, the wrench 10 has an elongated handle portion 11, shown shortened for convenience, with a ring socket I2 and an open-ended ratchet head I4.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5, the ratchet head I4 has a backing jaw portion 16, constituting a part of the forged or cast handle II. A first jaw 18 is supported in a curved recess of the backing jaw I6, with the curved surface 20 of member 16 providing reinforcement to the first jaw 18, while an abutment portion 39 of the jaw 18 bears against the end of backing jaw 16, when in a closed, first operating mode.

A second jaw 24 has a pair of spaced side plate portions 27, 29 having recesses therethrough to receive pins 30, 32.

The pin 30 serves to mount the second jaw 24 at 34 to the handle 11, while the pin 32 carries the first jaw I8 in pivoted relation between side plate portions 27, 29 (see FIG. 5), by way of fitted aperture 36 in the first jaw I8 through which the pin 32 extends.

Referring to FIGS. 5, 7 and 8, the first jaw 18 has a rib portion 38 that fits within corresponding recess walls 40 of the backing jaw 16, the rib 38 terminating at the abutment 39.

Each of the moveable jaws I8, 24 has a multi-faceted working face to provide working surfaces 42 in uniformly arranged relation defining substantially ten grip points of a 12-point socket, when in the first operating mode of closed torquing relation with the fastener head 50, which is of normal hexagonal nut form and usually either a nut or the head of a capscrew and of a standard size for which the specific head I4 is made. (See FIG. 2).

A leaf spring of suitably curved form is mounted by attachment to the first jaw 18 by way of an inturned tang entered in a recess 68 in the rib 38 (HO. 6). and bears in compressed relation between a surface 56 of the second jaw 24 and a surface 58 of jaw 16, tending to return the jaws l8 and 24 to a mutually closed nutgripping relationship which constitutes the operating mode condition.

In operation. referring first to FIG. 4, the head [4 may be forced in the upward arrowed direction to open the second and first jaws sufficiently apart so as to pass over the nut 50.

With the wrench head 14 positioned over a screw head 50 the spring 60 tends to close the jaws 18, 24 so that as the handle 11 is moved in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction. the twenty or so working faces 42 will engage in either ratcheting or driving relation with the faces or flats of the nut 50. Anti-clockwise motion of the handle ll will serve to move the jaws i8, 24 into the closed nut-driving position illustrated in FIG. 2, in cooperation with the spring 60, and continued anticlockwise rotation of handle II will apply torquing force to the nut 50 as a first operative mode. Reversal of motion of the handle 11 in clockwise rotation produces upward releasing motion of the first jaw 18 to the position shown in FIG. 3 and partial outward cocking of the second jaw 24 to an extent to open the jaws I8, 24 and permit ratcheting rotation as a second phase of operation of the head 14 in a clockwise direction, with the jaws closing to engage each corner of the nut due to the spring action of the spring 60. Upon indexing of the jaw working faces 42 into a new cooperating relation with the faces and corners of the nut 50, after rotation of 30 or a multiple thereof, jaws 18, 24 close due to spring 60 and the wrench may be fully closed by anticlockwise rotation, to engage the abutment 39, and a further torquing drive in an anti-clockwise direction then applied to the nut 50 for continued first phase operation.

In order to apply a clockwise torquing drive to the flats of the nut 50, the wrench is reversed from the face-up position illustrated in the drawings to a facedown position with the first jaw 18 being then located to the left of the nut 50.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 9 through 13, a narrow backing jaw 16' fits between side plates 70 of the second jaw 24'. The other components of the wrench cooperate in substantially similar fashion to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, with however, the rib provisions shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 being omitted. In addition to a plate or leaf spring 62 secured to the jaw 18', a coil spring 52 assists in positioning the jaw 24 in the closed position. The use of a coil spring 52 is better suited to larger sizes of wrench.

It will be noted that the ratcheting or mode two operation, when the head 14 is retained in engaged ratcheting relation with the nut 50, is facilitated by the pressure exerted against the jaw 24 or jaw 24. by the springs 60. 62 and 52 respectively.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, the maximum open condition is obtained when surfaces 56' and 58' abut each other.

In torquing operation the torquing reaction forces acting against the jaws 18, 24 force the jaws into locked relation with the handle 11, particularly the abutment 39 against the end of backing jaw 16, so that the driving or torque forces are not applied totally against the pins 30, 32. Furthermore. the torquing force serves to press the first jaw firmly in seated relation against the backing jaw. so that there is applied a considerable closing 4 moment by pin 32 to keep the second jaw locked in the closed. first phase condition.

What i claim as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A ratchevaction open-ended wrench operable in a first mode in a torquing direction to drivingly rotate a fastener head fitting within the wrench end, and operable in a second mode in an opposite ratcheting direction to ratchet freely in resiliently secured relation about said head. comprising; an elongated handle with a backing jaw portion extending from one end thereof having a smoothly curved inner working surface terminating at an outer end; a first moveable jaw having at least two mutually inclined working faces located be tween an inner and an outer end of the jaw to drivingly contact mutually inclined faces of said head, and an obverse first jaw surface curved to fit in mating supported relation with said curved working surface of said backing jaw portion, in said first mode and an outer end abutment to seat on said backing jaw outer end; a second jaw attached at the inner end thereof in hinging relation to said first jaw inner end and pivotally secured to said handle end said second jaw having an outer end arcuately moveable in said second mode into opened co-operating relation with said first jaw outer end to receive a said fastener head therebetween; jaw biasing means to resiliently bias said first and second jaws in mutual closing relation to effect mating relation between working surfaces of said jaws and flat portions of said fastener head. when operated in said first mode, and to maintain said first and second jaws in headengaging ratcheting relation on rotation of said wrench about said fastener head in said second mode. said backing jaw adjacent surface portion being inclined rel ative to said first jaw working faces to generate reaction forces with said first jaw, when in use in said first mode. to secure said first jaw obverse surface in pressing relation against said adjacent surface and said first jaw abutment pressing against said backing jaw outer end in circumferentially compressive torque transmitting relation therewith to preclude motion of said first jaw. thereby preventing motion of said second jaw in pivotting opening motion relative to said handle and said first jaw. said backing jaw curved inner surface portion co-operating with said first jaw, when operated in said second mode. to move said first jaw outwardly from said handle in unlocking relation with said second jaw. to permit opening and said ratcheting motion thereof.

2. The wrench as claimed in claim 1 wherein said jaw inclined working faces comprise a semi-enclosure to substantially reduce the likelihood of accidental withdrawal of said wrench from offa said fastener head during operation in said second mode.

3. The wrench as claimed in claim 1 having said jaw working faces in a so-called twelve-point arrangement to provide precise driving engagement with a said fastener head at succeeding 30 intervals of mutual angular displacement between said wrench and a said head.

4. The wrench as claimed in claim 3 wherein said first and second jaws enclose more than of a said fastener head under the action of said jaw biasing means. to retain said wrench in engagement over said head.

5. The wrench as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first jaw is moveable in said second mode towards said second jaw in unlocking relation therewith. and said second jaw is moveable in locking relation therewith. and said second jaw is moveable in opening relation with said first jaw against the force of said jaw biasing means to an extent sufficient to permit passage of a said fastener head between said first and second jaws.

6. The wrench as claimed in claim I. wherein said first jaw obverse surface is smoothly convexly curved to provide progressive camming relation with said backing jaw to minimize the necessary displacement of said first and second jaws in said second mode in effecting successful ratcheting operationv 7. The wrench as claimed in claim 6 wherein said obverse jaw surface and said adjacent surface of said backing jaw are connected in groove and rib relation to provide lateral stabilization therebetween.

8. The wrench as claimed in claim 1, said second jaw having a pair of side plates extending therefrom in sliding overlapping relation with said first jaw, having said first jaw pivotally mounted therebetween.

9. The wrench as claimed in claim I wherein said jaw biasing means comprises a leaf spring connecting said first and second jaws in mutual biasing relation.

10. The wrench as claimed in claim 9 including separate spring means connecting said second jaw and said handle.

1]. The wrench as claimed in claim 3 having up to twenty said inclined working faces arranged to grip five corners of said fastener head.

12. The wrench as claimed in claim 1 for use with a hexagon-shaped said head wherein said second jaw has at least five mutually inclined jaw faces to grippingly engage three corners of said hexagon shaped head.

13. The wrench as claimed in claim 12 wherein said second jaw has at least ten mutually inclined jaw faces to grippingly engage said three corners, so as to provide ratcheting re-engagement on rotation of the wrench through an angle of substantially 30. 

1. A ratchet-action open-ended wrench operable in a first mode in a torquing direction to drivingly rotate a fastener head fitting within the wrench end, and operable in a second mode in an opposite ratcheting direction to ratchet freely in resiliently secured relation about said head, comprising; an elongated handle with a backing jaw portion extending from one end thereof having a smoothly curved inner working surface terminating at an outer end; a first moveable jaw having at least two mutually inclined working faces located between an inner and an outer end of the jaw to drivingly contact mutually inclined faces of said head, and an obverse first jaw surface curved to fit in mating supported relation with said curved working surface of said backing jaw portion, in said first mode and an outer end abutment to seat on said backing jaw outer end; a second jaw attached at the inner end thereof in hinging relation to said first jaw inner end and pivotally secured to said handle end said second jaw having an outer end arcuately moveable in said second mode into opened co-operating relation with said first jaw outer end to receive a said fastener head therebetween; jaw biasing means to resiliently bias said first and second jaws in mutual closing relation to effect mating relation between working surfaces of said jaws and flat portions of said fastener head, when operated in said first mode, and to maintain said first and second jaws in head-engaging ratcheting relation on rotation of said wrench about said fastener head in said second mode, said backing jaw adjacent surface portion being inclined relative to said first jaw working faces to generate reaction forces with said first jaw, when in use in said first mode, to secure said first jaw obverse surface in pressing relation against said adjacent surface and said first jaw abutment pressing against said backing jaw outer end in circumferentially compressive torque transmitting relation therewith to preclude motion of said first jaw, thereby preventing motion of said second jaw in pivotting opening motion relative to said handle and said first jaw, said backing jaw curved inner surface portion co-operating with said first jaw, when operated in said second mode, to move said first jaw outwardly from said handle in unlocking relation with said second jaw, to permit opening and said ratcheting motion thereof.
 2. The wrench as claimed in claim 1 wherein said jaw inclined working faces comprise a semi-enclosure to substantially reduce the likelihood of accidental withdrawal of said wrench from off a said fastener head during operation in said second mode.
 3. The wrench as claimed in claim 1 having said jaw working faces in a so-called twelve-point arrangement to provide precise driving engagement with a said fastener head at succeeding 30* intervals of mutual angular displacement between said wrench and a said head.
 4. The wrench as claimed in claim 3 wherein said first and second jaws enclose more than 180* of a said fastener head under the action of said jaw biasing means, to retain said wrench in engagement over said head.
 5. The wrench as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first jaw is moveable in said second mode towards said second jaw in unlocking relation therewith, and said second jaw is moveable in locking relation therewith, and said second jaw is moveable in opening relation with said first jaw against the force of said jaw biasing means to an extent sufficient to permit passage of a said fastener head between said first and second jaws.
 6. The wrench as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first jaw obverse surface is smoothly convexly curved to provide progressive camming relation with said backing jaw to minimize the necessary displacement of said first and second jaws in said second mode in effecting successful ratcheting operation.
 7. The wrench as claimed in claim 6 wherein said obverse jaw surface and said adjacent surface of said backing jaw are connected in groove and rib relation to provide lateral stabilization therebetween.
 8. The wrench as claimed in claim 1, said second jaw having a pair of side plates extending therefrom in sliding overlapping relation with said first jaw, having said first jaw pivotally mounted therebetween.
 9. The wrench as claimed in claim 1 wherein said jaw biasing means comprises a Leaf spring connecting said first and second jaws in mutual biasing relation.
 10. The wrench as claimed in claim 9, including separate spring means connecting said second jaw and said handle.
 11. The wrench as claimed in claim 3 having up to twenty said inclined working faces arranged to grip five corners of said fastener head.
 12. The wrench as claimed in claim 1 for use with a hexagon-shaped said head wherein said second jaw has at least five mutually inclined jaw faces to grippingly engage three corners of said hexagon shaped head.
 13. The wrench as claimed in claim 12 wherein said second jaw has at least ten mutually inclined jaw faces to grippingly engage said three corners, so as to provide ratcheting re-engagement on rotation of the wrench through an angle of substantially 30*. 